kenya

Marathon running has always been a combination of agony and ecstasy, only not the way Gary O’Hanlon is feeling it right now.

Because moments after crossing the finish line of the Dublin marathon, believing he was the top Irish finisher on the day, O’Hanlon was informed that actually he wasn’t – denied that honour by Kenyan runner Freddy Sittuk, who was born and still does most of his training in Iten, high in the Great Rift Valley.

Sittuk however does run for Dublin club Raheny Shamrock, and having been resident in Ireland for six continuous months, is now eligible for the national marathon title which comes with being the top Irish finisher in Dublin.

Gary O’Hanlon of Clonliffe Harriers A.C thought he had won the Irish title. Photo: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Still O’Hanlon had mixed feelings about that: his 2:18:52 was a personal best, leaving him 11th overall, while Sittuck clocked 2:16.05 in fourth place, also a personal best on a day perfect for fast marathon times.

The outright men’s winners was Bernard Rotich from Kenya, who ran 2:15:52 to collect the top prize of €12,000 – while the women’s title went to Nataliya Lehonkova from Ukraine, who also won here two years ago.

Kenya’s Bernard Rotich crosses the line to win the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon in a time of 2:15:53. Photo: Niall Carson /PA Wire

“I didn’t know he (Sittuk) was part of the national field, was only told after I crossed the line,” said O’Hanlon, who at 43 only resumed his competitive career five years ago, having previously been a top-ranked junior.

“Look, I was sure I’d won the national title, and in my head that’s the way I ran my race too. I don’t mean to knock it, but this opens the gates, and we could be flooded now with athletes coming here to win national titles.

“You hear about these Kenyans running for Turkey, or where, and Fionnuala McCormack giving out about missing out on medals. It’s different if they’re living here on a permanent basis.

“I’ve always wanted to win a national title, and I ran a best by a minute here, so in my mind I am national marathon champion. I was thinking a lot about that coming in the closing mind, my new born son (Ben), and how I was going to celebrate it. I definitely feel like I’ve earned it.”

“I had it geared up in my mind, to come through in the second half, and got past Sergiu, and then Stephen,” added O’Hanlon, who works as a personal trainer in his native Dundalk. “I felt in control the whole way, ran on my own the whole way. I don’t want to sound bitter about it, but when I heard about this Kenyans denying other people medals, I never really thought it would affect me.”

Athletics Ireland did confirm that the rule on eligibility for national titles was changed in 2016, allowing any foreign athlete registered with an Irish club and living here for six continuous months to compete for national titles.

The question was put to Sittuk, who did run a brave race, keeping himself at the front of the race all the way: the national title earned him a bonus of €3,500, and having first visited Ireland in 2012, felt he was entitled to be part of the race for the national title.

“I think yes, it’s fair because I have run for Raheny since 2012 and I have competed for them in cross-country and also in the half-marathon,” said Sittuk, not long after returning from the medical tent after receiving attention, such was the extent of his effort.

Laura Graham of Mourne Runners crosses the line to be the first Irish finisher in the women’s category. Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Defending her Irish women’s national title was Laura Graham, the 31-year old mother of four from Down, who ran another sweetly paced race to clock 2:39:06. Patrick Monahan also won a fourth successive wheelchair race in 1:49:55.

Four time world champion Lornah Kiplagat has been named to the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Hall of Fame Class of 2017 that will be held on 2nd November 2017 at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion in Central Park.

The Kabiemit born who switched her citizenship to Dutch is also a three-time Olympian and has held world-best times at 5K, 15K, 20K, and the half-marathon.

The 43 year-old won the NYRR New York Mini 10K four times. She set a personal best of 2:22.22 at the 2003 Osaka Marathon – when she still held Kenyan citizenship – before setting the Dutch record of 2:23:43 in New York City that November.

She’s the founder of the High-Altitude Training Center in Iten, Kenya, a training facility for athletes of all abilities.

She also founded the Lornah Kiplagat Foundation, which supports education for girls in Kenya with the inclusion of HIV/AIDS education, and provides opportunities for girls and young women to continue their studies in Europe and the United States.

Kiplagat will be honored together with Tom Fleming, Ryan Hall, Orlando Pizzolato, and Norbert Sander.

The Abebe Bikila Award recipient will be announced during TCS New York City Marathon race week. All seven award recipients will be honored at 4:00 p.m and the event will be open to the public.

New York Road Runners Hall of Fame

Tom Fleming

He is a member of the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame and the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Sadly, he passed away on April 17, 2017 and will be inducted into the NYRR Hall of Fame posthumously.

Fleming started running marathons as a teenager, including the inaugural New York City Marathon in 1970, when he placed second in 2:35. The New Jersey native won the race in 1973, running 2:21:54 to top an international field and win an around-the-world ticket from Olympic Airways.

He won again in 1975, the last year the race was held entirely in Central Park, and his time of 2:19:27 remains the only sub-2:20 ever run on that course. Fleming trained ferociously, logging up to 200 miles a week and inspired by the words he posted on his bedroom wall: Somewhere in the world there is someone training when you are not.

Ryan Hall

He is the fastest-ever American marathoner and half-marathoner, made his mark in the world of running at the high school, collegiate, and international levels. Hall’s breakout as a professional took place on the snow-covered hills of Van Cortlandt Park, where he stormed to the 2006 USA Cross Country Championship title.

The following year he set the still-standing American half-marathon record of 59:43, which remains the only sub-1:00:00 time by an American. Hall won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, held in Central Park on November 3, 2007.

The following spring, he ran 2:06:17 at the London Marathon, making him the second-fastest American marathoner on a record-eligible course. Hall’s time of 2:04:58 at the 2011 Boston Marathon is the fastest ever by an American, though the point-to-point downhill course is ineligible for records.

Orlando Pizzolato

He won back-to-back New York City Marathons in 1984 and 1985. The first year, he took the lead at halfway and held on despite stopping six times due to cramping in the final four miles, with his victory instantly putting him on the map as a household name in the running community.

With a second consecutive win, he proved he was no flash-in-the-pan by scoring a come-from-behind victory over World Cup champion Ahmad Saleh of Djbouti.He went on to win the silver medal in the 1986 European Championships Marathon and placed 15th in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Now, he owns and operates a company that offers running vacations, camps, and consulting, and provides scholarships to athletes ages 16-22.

Norbert Sander

He was a long-time member of NYRR’s Board of Directors and received the Heliodoro and Patricia Rico Lifetime Achievement Award from USA Track & Field in 2000, and the Abebe Bikila Award from NYRR in 2014.

Sadly, Sander passed away on March 17, 2017 and will be inducted into NYRR Hall of Fame posthumously. Sander’s impact on the running community in New York City was unparalleled. Born in Yonkers, he was a member of the historic 1958 and 1959 Fordham Prep cross-country teams that won the New York City championships.

Sander won the 1974 New York City Marathon and remains the only native New Yorker to have won the race. In 1992, Sander took on the revitalization of the Fort Washington Armory, which had been New York City’s premier arena for indoor track until the mid-1980s.

He led a $25 million project to restore the facility to its former status, building a premier athletic facility where young athletes would compete and be inspired to continue their interest in track and field.

Kenya’s Amos Kipruto will lead other a Kenyan contigent at the TCS Amsterdam Marathhon that will be held on Sunday 15 October in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The 25 year-old who is fresh from winning the Seoul Marathon with a PB of 2:05.54 slashing off two minutes from his previous time.

Kipruto will battle for honors with Ethiopian Tesfaye Abera who on paper has the fastest time of 2:04.24 that he got this year after lifting the 2016 Dubai Marathon. The 25 year-old is placed 13th on the world all time list.

When speaking to athletics.co.ke, Kipruto said, “I am very much ready for the race and my body has been responding well in training. Am praying for success and even hoping to get a PB at this race. I know him (Abera) very well because I was his pacemaker when he ran in Dubai Marathon last year so I will be cautious on how I tackle him and above all Let God’s will be done on that day.”

Debutant Edwin Kiptoo is another elite looking for a podium finish after finishing fourth at the Dam tot Dam after failing to defend it but has a PB of 59:56 he got in New Delhi.

After giving Mo Farah a test of what he has at the Great North Run, Zane Robertson from New Zealand will be making his marathon debut in Dutch capital.

The 27 year-old who lives and trains in Iten, Kenya holds the national record in 10,000m and the half marathon record of 59:47.

Somali born now Dutch citizen Abdi Negeeye will be seeking to improve his PB of 2:00.39 in the hope that he beats Kamiel Maase national record of 2:08.21 that he set at this race in 2007.

European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen has called for the World Championships to be returned to Europe in 2023, with the continent about to embark on its longest period without staging the sport’s showpiece event.

The 2017 World Championships took place in London, England last month and the 2023 Championships are the next available for bidding, with the next two editions set to be staged in Doha, Qatar and the US city of Eugene in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Doha 2019 and Eugene 2021 will mark the first time the showpiece event of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has been held outside of Europe for two consecutive editions.

“I am convinced that we have to be in Europe in 2023 for the IAAF World Championships,” Hansen (pictured) said at a European Athletics Council meeting. “As shown by the spectacular success of the recent World Championships in London, Europe is the centre of the athletics world and our athletes and fans deserve the stage (that) we can provide in any number of cities in 2023.”

Kenyan Sports Minister Hassan Wario last month said the East African nation will bid to host the 2023 World Championships, adding that his country enhanced its claims by successfully hosting the IAAF’s 2017 World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi in July.

Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) president Hamad Kalkaba Malboum also called for Africa to be awarded the World Championships by 2025, adding that six countries, including Kenya, are capable of hosting the event.

Africa has never held the Championships, but Hansen believes it must return to Europe in 2023. He added: “The IAAF must follow these two editions by ensuring 2023 is awarded to a city in Europe, especially taking into account it has now switched to a more targeted approach to event allocation instead of official bidding.

“Everyone in our European Athletics family understands how important it is for our global showpiece event to be hosted on our continent at regular intervals. This not only provides the ideal stage for excellent performances from the world’s top athletes but also has a positive impact on television audiences and commercial income.

“We need to keep developing the sport here in Europe and everyone agrees the World Championships is the best tool for doing so.”

Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea and three-time defending women’s champion Mary Keitany of Kenya, will lead the international field at the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 5 November.

The world-class field representing 27 countries will include 22 Olympians and 10 who have previously finished on the New York City Marathon podium.

Ghebreslassie, 21, became the youngest men’s winner in the history of the New York City Marathon last year, breaking the tape in 2:07:51. He posted the third-fastest winning time and was the first Eritrean to win the race. In 2015, he became the youngest IAAF World Championships winner and his gold medal was Eritrea’s first ever at the event.

He was fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Marathon and owns a personal best of 2:07:46 from the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon, where he also finished fourth.

“I’m proud to return to New York to defend my title,” Ghebreslassie said. “The crowds along the course are fresh in my memory, and I will work hard to do well again this year.”

Keitany, 35, has won the race each of the last three years, including a dominating performance last year in which she surged ahead at Mile 14 to finish the course on a solo run in 2:24:26. Her 3:34 margin of victory was the greatest in the women’s race since 1980, and she became the first able-bodied runner since Grete Waitz to win the event three years in a row.

Keitany is a two-time winner of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, taking the series titles in 2012 and 2016. This year, she won her third career London Marathon in April, breaking the women’s only marathon record in a blistering time of 2:17:01.

“Having Ghirmay and Mary return to the streets of New York to defend their titles among a group of athletes from 27 countries around the world is a true testament to the TCS New York City Marathon being one of the most world-class and universally diverse sporting events,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon.

The men’s field also includes Lemi Berhanu, the 22-year-old from Ethiopia who won the Boston Marathon in 2016, and has a personal best of 2:04:33 from the 2016 Dubai Marathon, the fastest personal best in the field.

Lelisa Desisa, also from Ethiopia, finished second in New York in 2014 and third in 2015 before failing to finish last year. The two-time Boston Marathon champion owns a personal best of 2:04:45 from the 2013 Dubai Marathon.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor also returns. The 24-year-old was the runner-up in 2015 and is a four-time world champion, twice in cross-country and twice in the half-marathon. His personal-best time of 2:06:12 came from his marathon debut in 2012, when he finished third at the Berlin Marathon.

The women’s field will include Kenyans Edna Kiplagat and Betsy Saina. The 37-year old Kiplagat owns titles from the 2010 New York City Marathon, 2014 London Marathon and 2017 Boston Marathon. She is a three-time World Championship medallist, most recently taking silver at the IAAF World Championships London 2017.

Saina, 29, finished fifth over 10,000m in Rio 2016 Olympics and will be making her marathon debut.
They’ll be joined by Ethiopian Tigist Tufa, 30, who has lived in the Bronx, who finished third and eighth in her two previous New York City Marathon appearances in 2015 and 2013, respectively. She won the London Marathon in 2015 and was the runner-up in 2016.

Plans are already in place to ensure a country in Africa hosts the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships by 2025, the head of their continental body has claimed.

Confederation of African Athletics President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum believes that six different nations are capable of playing host: Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

He claims that IAAF President Sebastian Coe is also supportive of his plans and hopes to change a perception that Africa poses a greater security risk than other places.

“I think one of these six countries has the economic potential to host the World Championships,” the Cameroonian official, who is also an IAAF vice-president, toldinsidethegames at the ongoing 2017 edition here.

He outlined the success of both the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala in Uganda in March and the World Under-18 Championships in Kenyan capital Nairobi last month.

This was despite six countries – United States, Australia, Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada – all withdrawing prior to the latter event due to security fears.

A Diamond League stop also took place in Moroccan capital Rabat last month.

“We were a bit unhappy with the fact that many countries did not come, [to the World Cross Country and World Junior Championships],” Malboum said.

“They said this was for security reasons.

“But there are security concerns everywhere: France, United States, and here in London.”

No African country has ever hosted the sport’s flagship event despite the huge success of athletes from the continent.

Malboum admitted Africa continues to face problems hosting events after Durban was stripped of the 2022 Commonwealth Games following a series of organizational problems.

“It all depends on political will,” he said.

“We saw real interest in Kenya, where 60,000 people attended the competition on the Saturday and Sunday.

“I spoke to the President of the country [Uhuru Kenyatta] and he was also supportive.

“Some politicians often oppose sporting events but it can really help in raising the visibility of a country.

“We think that 2023 will come too early for Africa, but in 2025 we have a real chance.”

Doha in Qatar is due to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships before Eugene in United States stages the 2021 edition.

Hungarian capital Budapest is currently considered the front-runner to play host in 2023.

The IAAF approved plans earlier this year to switch to a more business-oriented and less formal approach for allocating events in which negotiations would be favoured over official bidding.

Crowds attend the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala. Photo: Getty Images

Coe has also spoken in support of increasing opportunities for Africa, although he stopped short of specifically mentioning the World Championships.

“I have been on record on wanting to take more events to Africa,” he said.

“We have just come from Nairobi where they hosted a spectacular Under-18 World Championships, where we had over 160,000 people over the last three sessions.

“We have had the World Cross Country Championships this year in Kampala; the Diamond League has had its second iteration in Morocco, in Rabat.

“So for a continent that has created an extraordinary chapter in our history and is actually broadening away from the traditional middle distance and long distance, in field eventers and sprinters coming through, it is of course an important destination and I hope we find a way of doing that.

“South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, North Africa, Morocco, these all have potential.”

The International Athletics Associations Federation (IAAF) is targeting to train 200 technical officials to officiate in the forthcoming World Under 18 championships to be staged on July in Nairobi, Kenya.

The technical officials are being trained at the IAAF Regional centre based at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

This is the second time the course is being undertaken after the first which was conducted in 2010 for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships that was staged in Nairobi with 100 technical officials being trained for that continental masterpiece.

The World Under 18 Local Organising Committee (LOC)technical director Ibrahim Hussein Kipkemboi said they trained the first batch of 30 officials on February 27-March 3rd and the second batch will report for the course on March 19.

The officials who were being trained by the Confederation of Africa Athletics Association (CAA) Vice President Vivian Gungaram who is also in charge of Competitions and Technical issues will be assigned various roles during the world fiesta.

Hussein who is also the IAAF Regional director said they wanted to ensure that Kenya has adequate technical personnel to efficiently handle the championships.

He said they were collaborating with Athletics Kenya (AK) in the training where the local governing body was availing names to centre for training.

“We sent an invite to AK who in turn selected the officials drawn from their affiliates. The selection was not done by the regional centre as that is not within our mandate as our obligation is to provide training,” said Hussein.

Among the technical officials who were trained in the first batch Japheth Kemei coach to the 2016 IAAF Diamond League series Ferguson Rotich, the 1982 Africa 100m champion Alice Adala and the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games Kenya’s team manager Richard Lebo and Athletics Kenya Universities and Colleges branch secretary general, Edward Muema.

Usain Bolt was named 2017 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year at a ceremony in Monaco on Tuesday (14).

Bolt, who successfully defended his Olympic 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles to leave Rio as one of the 2016 Olympic Games’ biggest heroes, received the honour for a record-equalling fourth time. The 30-year-old Jamaican won previously in 2009, 2010 and 2013.

US gymnast Simone Biles, the first woman to win four gymnastics gold medals in a single Olympic Games, was named Laureus Sportswoman of the Year.

US swimmer Michael Phelps won the Comeback of the Year honour after returning to competition to compete at the Rio Games where he became the most decorated Olympian of all time.

The Olympic Refugee Team received the Laureus Sport for Good Award for Sporting Inspiration.

The Refugee Team, which consisted of 10 athletes competing in three sports, was formed by the International Olympic Committee for the Olympics in Rio to “act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide.”

“This award is for the 65.4 million displaced people globally, who cannot go to their homes because of strife,” said Kenyan distance running legend Tegla Loroupe, the team’s chef de mission.

Nico Rosberg of Germany, the reigning Formula One world champion, won the Breakthrough of the Year award.

Italy’s Beatrice Vio, the only quadruple amputee competing in international wheelchair fencing, won the Disability Award.

The Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA) gala continued to receive millions from the corporate sponsors who continued to come in in droves.

With 6 days to go before the best in the sporting fraternity is named as the sports person of the year an event that will be held on Thursday 16th January at KICC.

On Wednesday the 11th January SOYA received a whooping Kshs 3.5 million. The contribution were from Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) that gave Kshs 1.5 million, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) gave Kshs 1 million and Velvet Ventures gave Kshs 500,000 and topped up by dressing the entire selected nominees and guests at the event.

Today morning at the same venue same time more millions dropped in from LOTTO Foundation which gave Kshs 3 million, National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) gave Kshs 1 million and Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) gave Kshs 1 million.

The event that was graced by the SOYA patron and Founder Dr. Paul Tergat, he thanked the sponsors for coming up to sponsor the great event that rewards and recognizes the best sports personality in the country.

“We decided to increase the prize money for our various categories as a way of motivating our world conquering sportsmen and women towards greatness also making the awards that have become a national annual fixture a truly memorable and rewarding event,” Tergat said.

The winner of the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year will take home Kshs 1 million which will not only serve to recognize their selflessness towards excelling in sports but also inspires others to work towards greatness by shining their light and that of kenya through performance in their sporting fields.